Ouster a hark back to loss in ’92 WC

Winning 10 games and finishing on top of the table is a huge achievement. But sport can be cruel at times. People remember the team that wins at the end of it all.

We were the league toppers but the final result does have a disappointing effect on the side. Someone reminded me that it was similar to what happened to New Zealand in the 1992 World Cup. Even then, New Zealand had finished on top of the league stage and then lost in the semifinal.

The fact is that we just did not play as well under pressure. We were undone by an amazing innings from Adam Gilchrist, which won the game for the Deccan Chargers. There is bound to be disappointment but it was a marked improvement from last year in terms of where we finished as a team.

We did made semis last year too, but it wasn't in as convincing a fashion as this.

Some have been surprised at how last year’s two bottom-placed teams made the final this year.

But everybody has forgotten that the two semifinalists from last year, Chennai and Delhi, made it to the knockouts again, underlining their quality.

If you look at the Chargers and Royal Challengers, it has been all about great individual performances.

For Bangalore, Ross Taylor has been exceptional, for Deccan players like Gilchrist, Rohit Sharma have done well. TCM